


You're Gonna Go Far Kid

by larrymylove



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: High School Student Louis, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-The X Factor Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 19:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4717772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larrymylove/pseuds/larrymylove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis feels as though his life has no direction - he can't seem to hold down a job, and school is almost impossible for him. He feels hopeless. Until he has a little pep talk with his mum that convinces him that maybe - just maybe - everything's going to be okay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Gonna Go Far Kid

Louis had had a shit day. It was entirely not his fault though. The world hated him. The universe mocked him. Everything was one cruel joke that Louis seemed to always be the butt of, and he was honestly exhausted of it. It was his final year in school. All his friends were talking of going off to Uni, but Louis knew that wasn’t in the cards for him. His grades were shit. It wasn’t that he didn’t like learning. He did. He loved learning. It was school he hated. The teachers he hated. They always told him he wasn’t good enough. So Louis stopped really trying. Why should he care if they didn’t? Instead he tried to throw himself into finding a job - he needed some sort of validation that he was worthwhile and accomplishing something. But every job he tried to hold down, he was sacked from. Except his current one at Toys R Us. He loved that job. And so far so good. His boss liked him. For now. Louis sometimes felt as though he had an expiration date with people. They always tired of his jokes or would flat out tell him that they found him annoying and would cut him from their lives. And Louis tried to tone it all down. He really did. But he couldn’t help it. He loved happiness and fun. He loved to try to make people laugh at any and all costs. Some people just didn’t understand that. A lot of people didn’t understand that.

Today had been particularly bad. He had gotten his exam back in Geography and Mr. Simpson had handed Louis’ his paper back with the remark, “Mr. Tomlinson, if this is how you keep up living your life, you shall get nowhere fast, pal. I look forward to the day I order a cheeseburger and fries from you. Because that’s all you are sure to amount to.” And he’d said it in front of everyone, loudly enough for everyone to hear. And while Louis sneered and rolled his eyes and balled up the exam - which  was marked with a big red F - into his tattery old backpack, he really was trying very hard not to cry - not to give Mr. Simpson the pleasure.

Louis wished he could be the person who didn’t care what others thought. But he wasn’t that person. No matter how hard he tried to be. He tried not to let Mr. Simpson’s words get to him. But they did. And for the rest of the day, Louis’ heard them playing on a loop inside his head. Everyone seemed to have some sort of direction in their lives. Louis didn’t. He had no idea what he wanted to do. It wasn’t like he didn’t have interests. He did. He loved football and drama and singing and working with children. But he just didn’t know what to do with any of that. Besides, it wasn’t like he had any help. The counselors and principal and teachers all had labeled him a Problem Child and had ignored him or punished him and that’s how it had been since Louis was about seven. It wasn’t his fault school was harder and trying to focus and sit still was harder.

When Louis got home from school - he didn’t have a shift at Toys R Us that day - he flung his backpack by the stairs and stormed upstairs.

“Hey!” Lottie trailed behind him, “Mum’s working late tonight. But she left us stuff to make a stew…”

“Great,” Louis rolled his eyes, just wanting to be alone, “Look, I’ve had a shit day, Lot. Can you please just do dinner tonight? I just...I can’t deal with that right now.”

Lottie frowned but nodded as they stopped outside Louis’ bedroom door, “Yeah, sure,” she said, not even hesitating, “I’ve got it covered, Lou. I’ll fix the twins up with a movie or summat. Do you want me to come get you when dinner’s ready?”

“Nah,” Louis sighed and flicked the fringe from his eyes, “Not hungry.”

“Well, okay then,” her frown deepened and Louis noticed that her forehead creased a little. She was too young to have worry lines just yet.

“Hey,” Louis lightly punched her in the arm, “Make the stew tonight. Then tomorrow night I’ll order us a pizza and cookie dough from Pizza Hut. Okay?”

She brightened a bit at that, “Okay!”

Louis tried his best to smile at her before going into his room and shutting the door behind him. Things were difficult at home. His mum was always working it seemed. Mark was around sometimes, but he was working more and more too. There were cutbacks at his job and he had to take on extra work. It was mostly Louis and Lottie left to care for the younger kids after school. Which he didn’t mind most of the time. It was somewhat therapeutic to him to help Fiz and Lot with their homework and watch Daisy and Pheobe. Being a brother was one thing he was actually not shit at. In fact, he was pretty good at it he would say so himself. It was something he could pride himself on. Too bad there wasn’t some sort of degree in university or paid job as being a big brother…

He passed some time fucking around with his phone before giving up on that and going on to his laptop to play around with Garage Band. It was getting late though, so eventually Louis gave up on that and tried to get some sleep. But his mind kept racing with thoughts of never being good enough, of never amounting to anything, of being a complete failure for the rest of his life. Finally, he had enough. A little after midnight, Louis hopped out of bed and went down to the living room. The lights were all off. He wandered into the kitchen and saw Lottie had left a note on the counter - _Lou, leftover stew is in the fridge. EAT SOMETHING YOU LOSER xx_

Louis rolled his eyes, but heated up his leftover stew anyway. Lottie would check in the morning if he’d eaten and honestly, when did his baby sister become more intimidating to him than his own mother? It blew his mind sometimes. Louis got his bowl and made his way back out to the living room where he flipped on the TV. Nothing was on of course. So Louis dug out his boxed set of all nine seasons of One Tree Hill. His mum had given them to him as a Christmas present last year. He’d seen the entire show already once, but loved having the copies in his possession. He knew if anything could take his mind off of things, it’d be Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Brooke, and Peyton. It was a bit corny, but Louis sometimes felt like they were friends of his. He could always count on them to be there for him. And they never once told him he wasn’t good enough. He turned on the pilot episode, tucking himself up on the couch and nibbling on his stew.

Lucas was just about to tow Peyton’s Comet because Nathan was being a little shit and still not the amazing person Louis’ knew he was capable of being just yet when he heard the garage door rattle up. His mum was finally home. He heard her drop her keys and purse by the door and she gasped a little when she saw that he was still awake.

“Louis,” she said, “What on earth are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Louis paused his episode, “There’s leftover stew in the fridge if you want it.”

“I already ate something at the hospital,” Jay shrugged out of her sweater and draped it over the back of the couch. She came around and sat down next to Louis, “So, are you going to tell me what’s got you unable to sleep?”

“ ‘s nothing,” Louis lied.

Jay rolled her eyes, “Louis, my son. My flesh. My blood. I know you better than that and if you think I’m just going to sit here and accept ‘ ‘s nothing’ you’re mistaken. Now then, what’s really upsetting you, baby?”

Louis sighed. It was no use lying to her really. He never could lie to her anyway. She always knew him better than that. “Everything,” Louis finally admitted, throwing his head back against the cushion of the couch, “Mr. Simpson called me out in front of everyone today and told me again I’d never amount to anything. In front of everyone. I just...I sometimes feel like he’s not wrong in thinking that about me. Mum really, what have I got going for me?”

“I will call the school tomorrow,” Jay shook her head, “That is unacceptable. How many complaints do I have to make about this man?”

“Mum, it’s fine. I’m just...I’m being dumb. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a huge deal,” Jay argued, “Louis, I hate seeing you like this. You have so much going for you, baby. You really do. You are actually very bright, baby. Brilliant even. And you’re charming and funny and you are kind - you are so, so kind. You have a heart of pure gold, Lou. And you’re so compassionate. You always put others first. I just...I hate seeing you so down about yourself, baby. You are so much more than you give yourself credit.”

Louis curled his legs up to his chest, hugging them tight, “I feel like everyone has it all figured out but me.”

“Darling,” Jay ran her fingers in circles across his back, “you’re a kid. No kid is supposed to have it all figured out yet. Hell, I’m an adult and I don’t have it all figured out,” she admitted, “It’s a process, baby. And sometimes that process just falls into place quick and easy for some. For other’s, the journey takes a bit of time. You’ll figure it out, sweetheart. You will. And I know you’re going to go on to big things, my love.”

Louis couldn’t help but smile. He rested his head on his knees, looking to him mum with a soft smile on his face, “Mum…” Louis protested.

“ ‘s true,” Jay brushed the fringe from his eyes, “You’re destined for greatness, baby. I know you are. Now then, what episode are we watching here?”

“ ‘s late,” Louis protested, “I know you have had a long day. You don’t need to sit up and watch with me.”

“I know that,” Jay rolled her eyes, snatching the remote that was laying next to him, “but I _want_ to. And here’s what I’m going to suggest we do. When I get off work, we’ll watch one or two episodes together. I’ll make us tea. And we can just sort of unwind. My work can be a bit stressful. I know school is stressful on you as well. It’ll be good for the both of us to have some wind down time.”

“Thanks, Mum.”

“Of course,” Jay pressed PLAY on the remote, “Okay, so that’s Lucas, right? And um...oh who’s the girl?”

“Peyton.”

“Peyton!” Jay nodded, “And you have a liking for Lucas, right?” Jay jabbed a finger into Louis’ side, “Hmm?”

“Mum!” Louis slapped her hand away before she could tickle him, “ ‘s not a ‘liking.’”

“Fine,” Jay shrugged casually, “Crush then.”

“Mum!” Louis put his face in his hands, but he was laughing now. He was certain no matter how old he got or where his life ended up, his mum would always be right there to help him along the way and cheer him up when he needed it most.

“He’s cute,” Jay mused, “He’s got this whole, pouty-broody thing going for him, doesn’t he?”

“He’s kind of known for that,” Louis explained.

“But not you, okay?” Jay brushed the hair from Louis’ eyes again, “You are full of so much goodness, Louis. Don’t let people like Mr. Simpson take that away from you, alright? Just keep being your happy self, Lou. Everything will fall into place for you one day. Just don’t let people stomp out your happiness. It’s what makes you, you.

The next morning, Louis was getting ready for school. He pulled on his t-shirt and his jeans and slipped his Vans onto his feet. He was ready a little early, so he logged onto his laptop and messed about on the internet for a little bit. It was then that he saw it - the announcement that auditions for the next season of The X-Factor were going to be held soon. Louis bit at his bottom lip, bookmarking the article online that had said that.

He was about to head downstairs when his mum’s words echoed in his head - _don’t let people stomp out your happiness._ Louis snatched a Sharpie off his desk and scribbled two smiley faces - one on each toe of his Vans. His little reminder.

He was going to be okay.


End file.
